There’s something about trolls that is always… I guess amusing. Probably because they are often cast as dumb, lumbering and far south of thoughtful. And, this short story really doesn’t do anything to dispel those ideas. What it does do is take a creature that is traditionally gross and smelly and making him… well, kind of cute.

This was such an amazing novella. Which I was kind of expecting because I also thought that Before the Snow was amazing. Especially as a wind up to the actual novel and the first full-length story in this series. The only thing that annoys me about this is the fact that I decided to read Stealing Snow for my Around the Year in 52 books challenge… so I don’t get to read it until the 16th of July…. That’s a loooooong time to wait.

I had no idea what to expect from this novella, or even what to expect from the rest of this series. I had just bought Stealing Snow because it was cheap in the Boxing Day Sales. And the cover looked pretty. And it was one of those stories that I’m so glad I did. At least, judging from the first novella (I haven’t got to the actual novel yet).

I don’t follow cars. Or racing. And especially not NASCAR. I only really vaguely know anything about it to be honest. So reading a short story that had a horror component was kind of interesting. And a little disconcerting. And I didn’t entirely understand this short story…

I’m kind of sad that this is the ending to the series. I’ve been enjoying Cuttersville so much over the past few weeks. And now it is over… I’ll just have to find another series to sink my teeth into next I suppose. And this was such a great and fitting end to this sweet romance series as well. Piper is so much sweeter and more huggable than the other women featured. And I love that you have watched her and Brady grow up a little over the preceding books.

I feel like I liked this story a little tooooo much. It was dark, twisted and resulted in murder. And yet I absolutely loved it. Can’t stop thinking about it. Feel almost completely obsessed with it. Although, unlike most short stories that I love this much… I’m more than happy that it ended when it did. This was poignant and powerful, but it was also perfectly succinct in what it was attempting to entail.

I really liked this story. I kind of wish that it was part of a greater series… a small town that is perpetually cursed. Especially on a Wednesday. That in and of itself is a great premise for a novel or series. And then there’s the sheriff who came to drink himself to death. And the Indian man who is running around in a tuxedo… they don’t entirely fit into the Western theme.

I loved this take on the tale of Humpty Dumpty. He is gross, creepy and annoying. And yet there is a weird connection between him and the king. The fact that this weird, grotesque relationship is told through the eyes of an inventor and the queen’s sister kind of makes it all the more fun. Alongside the word spinning and twirling that seems to be an aspect of anything influenced by Lewis Carroll.

I liked the voice in this story. It was that very 20’s and had that kind of roughened P.I. tone to it that I have become used to in some of the more vampire noir stories. There was something about the language and storyline that just drew me in from the beginning. Mostly though it was just the fact that although this was a vampire romance, the vampire part was implied, and not outright explained.